Losing motivation

chemicalviking

Hi all ,

Really worried recently I've been averaging approx 15.5 / 16.5 all summer took part in a couple of sportives and have another coming up at the end of August . But on the last two rides around a local loop I seem to have no legs and no feeling of enjoyment, I've been taking 2/3 days rest eating ok ish and sleeping is good but just can't get my mojo back and it's starting to really impact my enjoyment of riding.

Wanted to lose a couple of stone this year but only managed half a stone :-(
Any pointers ???

herzog

Explore new routes?

dwanes

buying a new bike/ wheels / components or clothing works for me

jgsi

I suspect you are riding solo?
Can be a pitfall.

junglist_matty

Get rid of the speedo (or hide it so you can't see it if you really want to GPS track your ride).

Then look up and around at the countryside, enjoy being outdoors and the views, that's what cycling is all about, who cares if you're slow one day and fast the next, just enjoy the ride

dw300

Get injured - you'll immediately want to get back out on the road.

Wigster

Eating / drinking PLENTY on the day? Never underestimate hydration and carbs. There's a cyclist on YouTube that has a pretty good saying: "If you're pee is like straw, drink some more". Basically, drink until you're passing clear liquid.

SCR Pedro

Or simply take some time off. I was off the bike for 3 years, and didn't miss it for 2 of them. I played tennis, basketball, worked out, and went hiking. Then I started to miss it. Watching the Vuelta last year re-inspired me. So I did something about it.

On days where you don't want to go out, do something else. Play video games, pump iron. Do whatever you want, because it's just a hobby, and you won't lose that much fitness.

finlayson99

When I lose my mojo I either buy something for my bike or give it a good service.

Failing that try a different route or time of day that you ride.

Don't beat yourself up about it, the more you do, the worse you'll get.

craker

I haven't done a sportive for a few years now, they're all pretty similar to one another aren't they? Pick a different challenge, I'm just getting into tri.. don't fancy a ride? Go for a run. Mountain biking's a good alternative too.

YIMan

Strava. Brightens up the dullest repetitive ride.

Mikey23

But strava can also be obsessive and compulsive and demotivating if not used sensibly...

ianbar

op, i think you sound a bit like me. i recon you think you should have got better and better etc and lighter but have have levelled out. if you don't ride with a club i would think that would be a good idea, i work nights so its difficult to time my rides with anyone else! generally i think we all reach a level where we won't improve without shaking it up a bit!

KnightOfTheLongTights

You have my empathy mr viking. I suffer from drastic losses of motivation every 3-4 months or so.
I think mine is more due to a sort of burn-out: I’ll do a lot of riding and get really quite fit (and lose weight along the way, although I’m never massively overweight), like in the past fit enough to ride decently in a cat 3/4.
The problem is I’ve decided I actually don’t like racing so I reach the point where it’s a bit like, ‘What am I getting up at 7am on Saturdays for five hour rides for? And flogging myself round Richmond Park for two hours after work for? And denying myself nights in the pub?’
I’m not all that into sportives (– if you’ve got enough gumption to figure out good routes out into the countryside yourself, why would you want to do it with hundreds of other riders getting in the way?), though this summer an entry into RideLondon - purely cos of the closed roads element - has provided the motivation.
But that cracked the weekend before last after a hard summer of training when I just thought, ‘It’s not a race, ok you want to get round in a decent time, but really why are you training like a racer? Sod that five-hour ride tomorrow, I'm gonna relax.’
With the result that my last fortnight's training for RL has been more a flatline with lots of beer than a taper.
Maybe time trialling might fill the motivation gap, who knows.

chemicalviking

Thanks for the replies folks , been in the bike once since this post and that was for an hour and in the pouring rain and loved it. But been out for a few runs and did a 10k distance , again loved it and found it cleared my head a little even forgot to put strava on . I've also joined a gym for the winter training and really looking forward to it opening.

I've done more miles this year so that's a positive but think I'll start winding it down a bit now and take some pressure off myself.

DeVlaeminck

Something like the Marmotte can be a decent motivator - it's competitive enough to make sense setting a target for it but a bit more relaxed than getting into racing. It's also at a decent time of year - early enough that you can spend the Spring and early summer training for it and late enough that you can start easing off a bit after but still keep enough fitness for the rest of the Summer.

KnightOfTheLongTights

chemicalviking wrote:

Thanks for the replies folks , been in the bike once since this post and that was for an hour and in the pouring rain and loved it. But been out for a few runs and did a 10k distance , again loved it and found it cleared my head a little even forgot to put strava on . I've also joined a gym for the winter training and really looking forward to it opening.

I've done more miles this year so that's a positive but think I'll start winding it down a bit now and take some pressure off myself.

Yeah running in the winter can be a lot more enjoyable than riding. Likewise spin classes maybe, or indoor / outdoor circuit training?

DeVlaeminck wrote:

Something like the Marmotte can be a decent motivator - it's competitive enough to make sense setting a target for it but a bit more relaxed than getting into racing. It's also at a decent time of year - early enough that you can spend the Spring and early summer training for it and late enough that you can start easing off a bit after but still keep enough fitness for the rest of the Summer.

Yeah lot of sense in that - next year maybe!